The day started with a thick fog. Fog in the winter means frost. All the trees got frosty tips for most of the day. I waited until the sky cleared up a bit, and fortunately, it did and it was also cloudless. The frost and the tree branches look great in front of the blue sky.

There's a sculpture of a bison in downtown Sioux Falls as part of the sculpture walk program. In 2017, there are 56 sculptures total, placed in and around the downtown area. This buffalo one is titled Ikicin by Gary Monaco.

The shelter is located in the middle of the field. It was too cold to use the shelter. It is still usable if you think 6°F is warm enough to sit around. It will be a good rest area in spring while watching birds.

A cold day for a short walk at the park. I started on the bike path and end up going off the trail, by the river banks. I had a limited time, so calculated the farthest place I could walk and head back. This bridge was the farthest point.

I drove around looking for places to take more photos and ended up at this park. After a short walk, I turned around. A couple deer looked at me and went in deeper into the woods. I didn't see anybody else at the park.

There are no geese, ducks, water fowls. The water is frozen. The trees became leafless. But life goes on at the park. I saw a few birds and a small herd of deer. It was a good evening for a short walk. I couldn't stay out longer. I think I need a better headgear for extremely cold temperature.

Another single digit evening outing. The pedestrian bridge is not too far from a busy street and an Interstate. I was trying to show the contrast between the unlit bridge and the colorfully lit establishments surrounding it.

The dusk and cloudless sky, after the sun dropped below the horizon. I squeezed enough time to make a photo after work. It was another single digit evening. This part of the river had a thin layer of ice. I don't think it would support my weight yet.

The bike trail system is available all year round. They are maintained by the city. On my walk, I saw several people run or ride a bike on the trail. Winter is not an excuse to be inactive and to be trapped inside for some people. I am glad to live in a city that cares about its resident this much.

The point where I turned around and headed back. Sun has set and the day got darker. I saw a deer on the way out and back. It seemed content while I walked about 25 yards away. I didn't want to disturb its supper so I didn't stop.

It's only a gas station but it has a nice background for a moment. People driving by probably thought I was nuts taking photos of a gas station. I thought about it for a moment and decided that what they thought about me doesn't matter. I was on my way back from a good walk. The sky was too beautiful not to share.

The are several public skating locations in town. Most of them are open skating at the park. They are not free but really affordable. There were quite of people at Tuthill Park but it was not busy. My guess the temperature was still too cold.

Even with the falls frozen solid, the water still flows freely underneath the ice. I don't want to fall in. I imagine it would be really cold. From the footsteps left on the snow, some people managed to go down to the water level and walked around the ice opening.

Watching the snow falls is like watching a fish tank. It is soothing. I took breaks throughout the day to rest my head and eyes. I usually sit in front of a couple computer screens all day and it can get monotonous. Breaks throughout the day help me get through the day.

While walking around the park, looking for a composition, I saw a couple of guys running. My guess, they didn't want to get stuck on the bridge with a train approaching. I didn't hear or see a train nearby.

I dragged myself out to make some photos. The cold temperature and being at the end of a long weekend made me in a homey mood. Stay warm at home was an easy option. I am glad that I did head out and about. I didn't know the moon was a full one. It was neat to know the first moon of 2018 is a full moon.

It was the day after Christmas. I was still hunting for Christmas lights photos. It was a cold day to be out and about. The high for the day was -1 degree Fahrenheit. Not only it was below freezing, it was also below zero. I could not be outside for long period of time without a proper outfit.

Every family has its own tradition to celebrate Christmas. Some open their presents on Christmas Eve, some others on Christmas day. We open ours after the Christmas dinner. The different traditions in celebrating Christmas are surrounding the same story, the Christmas story. A child was born in a manger, surrounded by shepherds and flocks, and visited by three wise men.

It was more difficult making photos with the shorter daylight. By the time I got done with work, there was barely enough light. I would need more time to look for a composition, not to mention get to the location. Once in awhile, I had to sneak a few minutes making a few frames at work.

It was not technically considered winter yet, but the temperature had gone down below freezing, overnight, for a while now. The scenery provided a different view. Other than being cold, I do not mind the winter. It makes me appreciate a warm bed a little bit more.

It got dark before I went home from work. I knew I had to make a photo and the light was disappearing fast. By the time I got to the park, not too far from work, it was dark. There was no colorful dusk or sunset today.

A thin layer of ice has formed on top. It's not thick enough to walk on. Soon enough, it would be a good spot to learn how to fish on ice. Some work was done on the park to improve the area surrounding the lake. It was done around the start of fall season.

We have a lounge area at work. It's a place to relax and to have a short break, away from the workstation. It was quite windy outside. I wanted to make a photo of the moving tree branches, the blowing clouds in contrast with the static window and the structures outside.

It's the south part of the Falls Park. The river was partially frozen already. I like that Cherapa Place was fully lit from the inside. The tall grass on the left was partially lit by the park's lights. The safety railings cast a shadow on it.

I was chasing the existing natural light source for the day. It led to the point where the clouds converge. It happened to be the direction towards the heart of downtown. It makes a dramatic background for the cityscape.

The is ruins of the old structures and the new ones mark the park. The remains of the old buildings provide context for the history surrounding the park and the city. The new structures provide comfort and safety for park's visitors.

The day started with a single digit temperature. It was quite a cold day but wasn't cold enough to deter me to go to the park and some photos. I couldn't stay outside for long without feeling miserable, walked back to the car, got warm, and headed home for supper.

I don't think the bridge has a pedestrian walkway. It's a single railroad bridge. Pedestrian has to clear the bridge when a train needs to pass which is not often. The texture contrast between the water, the sky, and the rock surface making this interesting. It's easier to see these textures on a black and white photo.

It's about 10 - 15 minutes from town. The scenery is significantly different. The farmland all around, gravel roads, no traffic lights, just stop signs. This piece of land was for sale for an upscale residential area as lots.

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving Day. The park became one popular place to be, especially when the temperature was warmer than normal that day. The Christmas lights were on. The crowd and families came and enjoyed the day at the park. Fun times.

Every year KELO tower lights up for the season. As the sun sets, the tower seems to get brighter. The daylight gets shorter and it becomes harder to catch the twilight after work. It is still fun to explore the town.

The idea was to capture this unique building and the traffic leaving the downtown area. It's just the other side of the parking ramp. Below the parking ramp is the main metro bus station. I thought I could see myself in the reflection.

I went to the parking ramp in the middle of downtown on the way to Falls Park. It was still more than enough available light for the photo I had in mind. I captured the traffic flow and the scene around the river. I can't get enough twilight photos.

Overlook Cafe is closed for the season. It was Thanksgiving Day and visitors flocked the park since it was a day off. I had a photo I wanted to make but ended up made different ones. A few parts of the river froze even though it was rather warm for November.

I came back to the park to make a specific photo that I saw in the previous photo I made. The conditions were not the same and the result is not as good as I visualized in my head. I also did make other photos, like this one.